


Eye for an Eye

by paperjamBipper



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Gen, Pines Family Feels, Protective Stan Pines, Self-Hatred, Weirdmageddon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:15:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25734166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paperjamBipper/pseuds/paperjamBipper
Summary: “Hey, well, if it doesn’t matter which mindscape we trap him in, why don’t we trap him in mine?” he taps at his temple with two fingers. “It’s not like it’d be his first time in here”“No, no…” Ford dismisses, and brushes Stan’s hand off of his shoulder. “There’s nothing in your mind that he wants. It-” he freezes, like he finally finished processing what Stan had said. Ford turns to face him, and gives his brother the most intense look of bewilderment he’s even seen in his thirty years running the Shack.“Ah…” Stan rubs awkwardly at the back of his neck. “The kids forgot to tell you about that one, huh”
Relationships: Dipper Pines & Ford Pines & Mabel Pines & Stan Pines, Dipper Pines & Mabel Pines & Stan Pines, Ford Pines & Stan Pines
Comments: 8
Kudos: 162
Collections: Genuary 2021





	Eye for an Eye

“There’s gotta be something else we can do! Look, Ford, I’ve been conning people out of their wallets for thirty something years. I know how these things go. Bill’s playing for the kids’ _lives,_ Sixer, he’s not gonna let them go that easy”

“I know,” Ford sighs. “But there’s no other way. He’s invincible in the physical realm. Without the zodiac the only way to defeat him is to corner him in the mindscape.” He stands to his feet. “If there’s any chance it’ll work and the kids get to go free, it’s a chance I’m going to have to take”.

Stan follows suit and places a hand on Ford’s shoulder to stop him from going any further. “Hey, well, if it doesn’t matter _which_ mindscape we trap him in, why don’t we trap him in mine?” he taps at his temple with two fingers. “It’s not like it’d be his first time in here”

“No, no…” Ford dismisses, and brushes Stan’s hand off of his shoulder. “There’s nothing in your mind that he wants. It-” he freezes, like he finally finished processing what Stan had said. Ford turns to face him, and gives his brother the most intense look of bewilderment he’s even seen in his thirty years running the Shack.

“Ah…” Stan rubs awkwardly at the back of his neck. “The kids forgot to tell you about that one, huh”

The look on Ford’s face is screaming _WHAT DO YOU THINK,_ but instead he settles for shaking his head. “Stan, this is gravely serious! Do you have any idea the kind of things he could’ve done to you?” he snaps, and Stan doesn’t miss that Ford is unconsciously rubbing at his wrists. 

“Hey, hey, take it easy there, Sixer” He places his hand on Ford’s shoulder again. “It wasn’t like that, I promise. That little demon Gideon sent him into my mind to look for the deed to the Shack.” He chuckles softly. “The kids managed to follow him in and stopped him before he could do any real damage”

Ford smiles sadly. “Those kids are something else, aren’t they?” 

Stan wipes at his eyes with his wrist. “They’re family, Poindexter, they’d give everything for the people they love.”

Ford chuckles wetly, bringing a hand to his forehead. “I just wish I’d been able to spend more time with them”.

“ _Woah,”_ Stan grabs both of Ford’s shoulders. “Don’t talk like that. We both screwed up. I was too busy trying to get you back, and you were too busy trying to prevent all of this from happening” he shakes his head. “Look where that got us. We’re gonna figure this out. I promise.”

Ford sighs. “Even if we _could_ trap Bill in your mind, there’s no way he’d take the deal from you instead. You’d be worthless to him unless I told _you_ the equation to take the barrier down, but that could _years_ to even figure out how to translate all of those ciphers into a discernible language”

Stan snorts. “Always taking the hard way out, eh Sixer? Look, it’s like you said earlier. I would’ve seen _right_ through Bill’s tricks. I’ve been in this business since I was _seventeen._ If there’s anyone who can give that triangular son of a bitch a taste of his own medicine, it’s me. All we gotta do is trick him into shaking my hand and you can take care of the rest.” He reaches into his suit pocket and hands Ford the memory erasing gun. 

“How could we? Bill’s been working at this for billions of years. If he finds out that you tricked him he’s going to kill you”.

“You said it yourself,” Stan shrugs, removing his fez. “He’s weaker in the mindscape, yeah? If he doesn’t know that it’s me until it’s too late, he can’t touch me”

Ford takes a half-step closer. “S-Stan, are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”

Stan removes his jacket and offers it to Ford. “I’m ready to make that deal, Bill” he murmurs in a spot-on impression of his brother’s voice. Ford doesn’t take the jacket, only stares at Stan with big, sad eyes. 

“Stan, you have to understand what you’d be _sacrificing_ , what you’d have to give up to-”

“Hey,” Stan waves a dismissive hand in the air. “Don’t worry about that. Just means I’ll finally be able to put this thing to good use”. He taps at his forehead, and Ford frowns, but Stan continues before he can interject. “I’ve already messed up enough for one lifetime. Enough of my family’s already gotten hurt because of me. If there’s any chance that I can make it up to _anyone,_ even if it’s just the kids, then that’s a chance I’m willing to take”.

There’s tears forming in Ford’s eyes, but he does not protest. He takes Stan’s jacket, and offers him his own in return. “Stan, about...everything, I…” he drops his head to the floor to avoid eye contact with Stan. “I’m _so_ sorry. I should’ve known there was no way you could’ve broken that project on purpose, and I should’ve _known_ that Dad wasn’t bluffing and that you were never going to come back, and I shouldn’t have-”

Stan places his hands on his shoulders again, forcing Ford to look him in the eyes again. There are tears streaming down his cheeks. “Save it for afterwards, Poindexter, if Bill comes back and sees your waterworks he’s gonna know something’s up”

Ford sniffles, and Stan knows it’s because there very well may not even _be_ a next time, but it’s enough to pacify Ford. He wipes at his eyes with his wrist. “Right, right, of course. We mustn't waste any time” He takes his sweater off, and offers it to Stan. “But...if this truly is goodbye, if nothing else, then I just…” This time he’s the one to place a hand on Stan’s shoulder, right over the brand scar he’d left decades ago. “I wanted to properly thank you for everything you’ve done for me”.

Stan smiles, gently slamming his fez onto Ford’s head, ruffling his hair in the progress. “Y’always had to be the mature twin, didn’t you?”

The sound of Bill stomping back towards them interrupts Ford before he can comment any more. Stan steps forward, and looks back towards Ford one last time. “As for me?” He smiles, and isn’t oblivious to the tears forming in his own eyes. “If I don’t come back, tell the kids I love them”.


End file.
